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What advice would you give to incoming students at Highlands Middle School?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
429
Middle
DISTRICT 497 · STATE 462
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·LAGRANGE HIGHLANDS SD 106·NCES 171911002197
Highlands Middle School
1850 W Plainfield Rd, La Grange Highlands, IL 60525 · (708) 579-6890 · Cook County
GRADES 05–08MIDDLE21-SUBURBREGULAR SCHOOL429 STUDENTS
A+
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 95% of Illinois public middle schools
- A+Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- ·Beats expectations Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
- ·Three-year trend Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Illinois public middle schools
Student : Teacher
11.6:1
37 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 12.2:1 · STATE 13.0:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
,
Title I proxy
STATE 56%
Community
5
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other middle schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 5 | 102 | 24% |
| Grade 6 | 110 | 26% |
| Grade 7 | 98 | 23% |
| Grade 8 | 119 | 28% |
Student demographics
38%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 37% · STATE 69% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
School pathway
Feeds from
Based on grade levels within LaGrange Highlands SD 106. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
IAR + ISA 2024-25 . % Proficient (Levels 4-5)English Language Arts
87.4%
IL avg 51.0% . +10.4pp since 2023
Math
71.6%
IL avg 37.9% . +13.6pp since 2023
What this means: On the IAR + ISA, Illinois's statewide test, about 87 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 72 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Illinois schools, those numbers are about 51 and 38. Reading and writing scores are up about 10 points since 2023, while math scores are up about 14 points.
IAR + ISA results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 87.4% | 71.6% |
| 2023-24 | 77.0% | 58.0% |
% Proficient (Levels 4-5), all students and all tested grades.
Source: IAR + ISA. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
Where Highlands Middle School ranks
Among middle schools| Measure | This school | In Illinois | In Cook County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 71.6% | #26 of 640 ▲ 13 | #13 of 146 ▲ 3 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 87.4% | #22 of 640 ▲ 22 | #11 of 146 ▲ 4 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 429 | #344 of 691 | #95 of 148 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 11.6:1 | #145 of 558 | #51 of 138 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 38.3% | #343 of 560 | #96 of 138 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +8.6% | #58 of 127 | #21 of 40 |
Ranked against other public middle schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
429
+39 (+10%) vs 2020
+101% since 1990-91, when it was 213
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 429 | 36.9 | 11.6:1 | N/A |
| 2023-24 | 433 | 35.8 | 12.1:1 | N/A |
| 2022-23 | 426 | 33.6 | 12.7:1 | N/A |
| 2020-21 | 390 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2017-18 | 395 | 33.9 | 11.7:1 | 4% (16) |
| 2015-16 | 290 | 25 | 11.6:1 | 8% (23) |
| 2010-11 | 343 | 29 | 11.8:1 | 0% (0) |
| 2000-01 | 318 | 19 | 16.7:1 | N/A |
| 1990-91 | 213 | 17 | 12.5:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Highlands Middle School.
Since 2017-18: students up 9% (395 to 429); teachers up 9% (33.9 to 36.9).
About Highlands Middle School
Highlands Middle School is a medium-sized middle-grades school in La Grange Highlands, Illinois, one of the schools in LaGrange Highlands SD 106. The school enrolls 429 students, from grades 5 through 8.
The district for Highlands Middle School is LaGrange Highlands SD 106, with 2 schools and 994 students.
White students are the majority at Highlands Middle School, with 77% of enrollment. It is also 14% Hispanic, 4% Asian, and 4% multiracial. Cook County's residents are about 44% White, 34 points below the school's share. Pick two students at random and there is a 38% chance they belong to different racial or ethnic groups; that figure is the school's diversity index.
Federal data list 36.9 full-time-equivalent teachers at Highlands Middle School in 2024-25, for a ratio of 11.6:1. That is 1.3 students per teacher below the 13.0:1 average for middle schools in Illinois.
allk12 grades Highlands Middle School an A+. The grade compares the school only with Illinois public middle schools, because each state gives its own test.
Within Cook County, the median household income is $83,498, the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 43%, and about 10% of people live in poverty. Besides Highlands Middle School, Cook County has 1,405 other public schools.
The nearest public school is Highlands Elementary School, at less than a tenth of a mile. Inside a five-mile radius, there are at least 8 other public schools.
The school's locale code, Suburb: Large, means it is in a suburban area outside a principal city, within an urbanized area with a population of 250,000 or more.
Over 4 years, Highlands Middle School's enrollment climbed 10%, to 429.
Discussion on this page can cover science fairs, picture day, and bus routes. Reviews and ratings from people who know the school are welcome.
Cook County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
5,182,090
Census ACS
Median income
$83,498
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
43%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
10%
Below federal line
Schools in county
1,406
697,934 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in LaGrange Highlands SD 106
- Highlands Elementary SchoolElementary · 565 students
Other schools in La Grange Highlands
- Highlands Elementary SchoolElementary · 565 students
Other Highlands Middle schools
4 other US public schools in 5 states are named Highlands Middle. Highlands Middle School is the 5th largest of the 5.
- Highlands Middle SchoolKENNEWICK, WA · 745 students
- Highlands Middle SchoolFort Thomas, KY · 717 students
- HIGHLANDS MIDDLE SCHOOLJACKSONVILLE, FL · 685 students
- Highlands Middle SchoolNatrona Heights, PA · 575 students
Nearby schools
- Highlands Elementary School0.1 mi · 565
- Forest Hills Elementary School1.3 mi · 289
- Wm F Gurrie Middle School1.3 mi · 278
- Spring Ave Elementary School1.3 mi · 317
- Ideal Elementary School1.4 mi · 258
- Oak Elementary School1.5 mi · 446
Frequently asked questions
About Highlands Middle SchoolHow many students attend Highlands Middle School?
Highlands Middle School enrolls approximately 429 students in grades 05-08.
What grades does Highlands Middle School serve?
Highlands Middle School serves grades 05-08.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highlands Middle School?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Highlands Middle School is approximately 11.6:1 (37 FTE teachers).
What is the student diversity at Highlands Middle School?
Student demographics at Highlands Middle School are roughly 77% White, 14% Hispanic, 1% Black, 4% Asian, 4% Two or more.
What district is Highlands Middle School in?
Highlands Middle School is part of LaGrange Highlands SD 106.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.